


A moment of honesty

by ImaginaRose



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adrien Agreste Is Sunshine, Adrien Agreste gets a hug, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir Identity Reveal, Dysfunctional Family, Episode: s03 Félix, Family Drama, Family Feels, Father-Son Relationship, Gabriel Agreste | Papillon | Hawk Moth Identity Reveal, Gen, Good Parent Gabriel Agreste, Identity Reveal, Miraculous Side Effects, Peacock Miraculous
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-14
Updated: 2019-11-14
Packaged: 2021-01-30 14:21:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,014
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21429634
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ImaginaRose/pseuds/ImaginaRose
Summary: Gabriel gets to tell Adrien everything. And he's actually a trying to be a decent parent.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir & Gabriel Agreste | Papillon | Hawk Moth, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir & Plagg (Mentioned), Emilie Agreste/Gabriel Agreste | Papillon | Hawk Moth (mentioned)
Comments: 14
Kudos: 164





	A moment of honesty

Gabriel walked into the garden, to the statue of his wife. He drew away slightly, as he walked into the sun… how long since he was last outside?

The boy was sitting on the ground, singing under his breath. He smiled a bit. Even on a day like this, Adrien could find a way to be happy. It was just the way the boy was. Always happy. Always a little ball of sunshine.

He felt like he was about to ruin it.

But Nathalie was right. The longer this went on, and there didn’t seem to be an end in sight, the more painful it would get for Adrien to find out the truth.

And if something went wrong… he couldn’t imagine, how his son would feel, if someone else told him.

It was better he be the one to tell him.

He was doing it all for him, after all.

He sat down next to him.

“Adrien… I think it’s time I told you something.” he started, carefully picking his words. He was never the one to say things gently. But this was a situation to be handled carefully.

“What is it, father?” Adrien asked.

“It… has much to do with your mother.” he paused. “With what happened to her.”

“Did they find a body?” Adrien asked. His mother has been gone for a year. Exactly a year ago, he returned from a photoshoot and she wasn’t home. His father refused to explain what happened and Nathalie claimed to not know. There was never any police investigation, but also no funeral. She just disappeared, even if her ghost still loomed over the hallways of the mansion. It was easier to make the reasonable assumption she was dead and move on. He knew she was sick… maybe she didn’t want them to see her die.

“No.” Gabriel shook his head. “I haven’t been honest with you about her… disappearance. And perhaps I should have told you sooner.”

Adrien looked at him. He rarely saw his father truly worried. And even now, that he wore a mask of stone, he could tell – from the way he looked away, from the tone of voice – the little things – that his father was truly nervous about what he was about to tell him.

“You know, that she was sick, before she disappeared…”

“You always said it wasn’t serious.” Adrien pointed out.

“We didn’t want to worry you.” Gabriel explained. “And… we didn’t think you’d understand.”

“Why?”

“Your mother’s illness… wasn’t a normal one. Before lately… you would probably think we’re crazy, if we told you her illness was caused by magic.”

“Magic like the Miraculous?” Adrien asked, visibly curious.

“Exactly like a Miraculous.” Gabriel nodded. “You mother was always interested in magic. On one of our trips, she found two Miraculous in the Tibetan mountains, along with the book you took a couple months ago. Unfortunately, the one she decided to try was… damaged. Its magic slowly siphoned away her life force, until one day… she didn’t wake up.”

Adrien was quiet. He looked at the face of the statue in front of them.

“So… she’s really dead?” Adrien asked after a moment.

“Not really, but… almost. I think coma would be the best description of her state.”

“Can’t she be helped?” Adrien looked at him.

“Not by traditional medicine, no. In this case, I believe, as did she, that only magic can heal magical damage.”

“So… what happened to the Miraculous?”

“I think you already saw the one, that took your mother. I… keep it in the safe with the book.” Gabriel said. “As for the other one… well… we did find a way to heal her. Through the Miraculous of Ladybug and Chat Noir. When used together, the two give the user unlimited power. That power can heal your mother.”

Adrien finally connected the dots. Everyone knew about Hawkmoths goal – he _did_ publicly state it back during Stoneheart’s attack. And every single akuma repeated it at one point or another.

“You’re Hawkmoth.” he said sternly. Through his Miraculous, Gabriel could feel the boy’s anger.

“I assure you… I’ve been doing it for your mother. It’s the only way to help her.” Gabriel said defensively.

Adrien fiddled with the ring on his finger.

_My mother is alive_.

_My mother could be healed by my Miraculous._

_I’ve been stopping her from coming back for months…_

_Would Ladybug agree to help her? It’s a good thing, helping people, isn’t it?_

_Would she do it for Chat Noir?_

_She had been a little more familiar lately._

He could feel Plagg’s disapproving glare.

_It’s for her_, he thought. _It’s for my mother. I’m helping her._

He needed to talk to Ladybug. Explain everything to her. He was sure she would understand.

_It would just be for a short while, right? Just a quick wish… and there would be no more Hawkmoth. My mother would be back. Everything would be perfect._

“I need to tell you something, too.” Adrien said after a while of tense silence. “I’m Chat Noir.”

Gabriel looked even more surprised than Adrien did. He felt boys rage dissipate. While he couldn’t read emotions nearly as well without being transformed, he did feel… something. The emotion was strong enough, close enough, for him to feel. Determination. Love.

“I want to help you.” Adrien added. “I want her back, too.”

Gabriel smiled.

“Really…?”

Adrien nodded.

“But I want to try to talk to Ladybug, first. I think that if she knew the truth… or at least part of it… that she would help.”

“That’s rather… naïve.” Gabriel pointed out.

“Just… let me try. Please.”

“Very well…” Gabriel sighed. “I guess it’s worth a try.”

“Thank you, father.” Adrien smiled. “Can I… can I hug you?”

Gabriel paused for a second.

“Of course.” he smiled.

And the boy nearly jumped at him, holding him in a tight embrace. He was surprised for a second, but the reciprocated. He felt like something heavy has been lifted from his shoulders.

For the first time in a year, they have been close to happiness.


End file.
